This invention relates to motor vehicles such as trucks, and particularly to a method and apparatus for controlling a clutch between the engine and transmission or gearing of a motor vehicle, especially a heavy truck.
In heavy trucks the manner in which the clutch is disengaged and re-engaged can adversely affect the clutch wear, produce speed feedbacks to the engine, result in acceleration jolts, and ultimately subject the driver to undesirable physiological stresses.
In the drive mechanism of a heavy truck, the friction disc clutch is generally the weakest member in the torque transmission. Thus improper operation can easily destroy the clutch. Prior art systems have failed to minimize these effects.
An object of the invention is to improve motor vehicles, such as heavy trucks.
Another object of the invention is to improve clutch controls of motor vehicles such as trucks.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a motor vehicle in which the aforementioned adverse effects are minimized.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method and an apparatus, which upon command, automatically disengages the clutch of a vehicle and then re-engages the clutch in such a manner as to reduce clutch wear to a minimum, minimize speed feedback to the vehicles' engine and avoid sudden acceleration jolts so as to protect the transmission parts and limit physiological stresses upon the driver to the lowest possible level.
Another object is automatically to control the engagement of the clutch members so as to minimize the danger of excessive clutch wear.